Two streets and half a world away
by Kinky-bootz88
Summary: After college Serena and Blair go travelling. How will this change them and what will become of those left behind? Will be Blair/Chuck in the end but much patience is needed
1. Chapter 1

The hard work was finally over for all of them. They had all studied hard, and played even harder. Four years of college was completed and each of them had their degree. Four years had passed and they had all been forced to grow up for different reasons. Serena had to take responsibility for the Poppy Lipton disaster. She had to prove to Lily that she had learned from her mistakes. Blair had to prove to herself she could live without Chuck, without her Mom's credit card daily. She had to prove to herself that she could live.  
Eleanor had arranged a party for all five of them, Serena, Blair, Nate, Chuck and Dan. Yes, even Dan was surprised by that one. Of course, it was a black tie event, with waiters and even a host. Blair had chosen a simple black Donna Karen dress. The whole night, she felt Chuck's eyes on her. She tried to ignore it knowing what was coming next. She and Serena had decided this would be the perfect time for them to explain their plans to their family and friends. Blair found it hard to keep the big secret. She was so excited she nearly let it slip several times. Serena had persuaded her that keeping it until the party was easier because then they could tell everyone at once. Waiters were circulating drinks and Eleanor had just giving a toast to the graduates.

Blair had listened to her mother's toast with tears in her eyes. She knew she needed to get away from this life but she was not sure what she wanted. Yes, she had lived on her own but it was a posh apartment in the center of New York with Serena. Now they were taking off to stay in hostel's that carried an unknown number of diseases. She had argued this point several times with Serena, but her argument was that they both needed to experience a new side to life. A life without the privileges of The Upper East Side. One where Jimmy Choo and Tiffany's were not visited more often than the dentist. Blair was still a bit worried about what exactly staying in hostels entailed but she knew it was time to grow up. She kissed her mother on the cheek and took center stage at her party.

"When it was coming close to the end of our exams, Serena and I were talking about the future. Neither of us knew what to do with ourselves, so we made a decision. We are going travelling for three months." Blair announced to the shocked audience. Only Lily and Eleanor had known of the girls plans.

"We are going to Europe; we want to see something other than shoe shops and parties. We are leaving in three days, to head to our first stop. Germany" Serena continued.

Chuck stood at to the side of the crowd staring at Blair. He could not imagine Blair in Germany. The thought of Blair drinking out of the stein brought a smile across his face. He had only ever seen her drink Champaign and Cosmopolitans. He was still extremely worried about her. Serena knew how to take care of herself; she had done the whole travelling to find herself before. Blair on the other hand, had never even flown coach before. Germany was going to be a whole other kettle of fish for Blair. She caught his eye and was confused by the smirk over his face. Guest wanting to know all the details of their plans surrounded Serena and Blair. Chuck raised his glass towards Blair and winked at her. He turned around and walked through the crowd. Blair lost sight of him.

Blair knocked lighting on his door, and opened it walking in. He was sitting at his desk using his computer. He quickly shut the lid, and turned round to face her. She shut the door behind her and sat on the edge of his bed, fixing her legs underneath her, pulling her dress round until her legs were no longer visible. Chuck leaned back in his chair smiling at her "I'm still trying to picture you in Germany. That is going to be, something all right. Take lots of photos for me."

"I'll even send you some back of the German Maids" Blair chuckled "Might enlighten you."

"No I might enlighten them."

"Chuck" Blair exclaimed rolling her eyes "Anyway what were you looking at before I came in?"

"I can't tell you that, it's a present for you but it hasn't arrived yet and I am not ruining the surprise." Chuck smirked "You just have to be patient."

"Oh Lord I am getting a German Maid, aren't I?" Blair exclaimed dramatically.

"No, if there were German Maids in New York, they would not be leaving my hotel room."

"I think you have a multiple personality disorder. Thirty seconds ago you were being really sweet and then you go back to sluttly Chucky"

Chuck laughed "Sluttly Chucky?" He asked raising an eyebrow "That sounds like a movie you would find on the Internet"

"No a movie you would look for on the Internet" Blair corrected him

Chuck nodded in agreement and laughed. He got up and walked over to the bed. He sat down on the bed, close enough to her that their legs were touching. Neither of them spoke, but they both felt the electricity that flowed through their bodies. He reached his arm round and pulled her closer to him. Somehow this felt right to both of them. Blair rested her head against his chest. She began to wonder if going away was the right thing to do. Her and Chuck were finally in the right place, it would maybe work, but she really needed to get out of New York. She had to see something other than the Upper East Side. She needed to escape from the falseness, and the rumors. She wanted to be unknown if even for three months. She could be anybody but Blair Wardolf.

"If I asked you to, would you stay?" Chuck whispered in her ear

Blair was taking back. This was not what she expected to here from him. They had made it half way through the second year of college before they broke up. She didn't expect them to last that long. They had been trying to be friends since then. It was hard for both of them to adjust, Blair through herself into her studies, and Chuck avoided her completely for months. He knew it was his fault. He couldn't tell her what she needed to hear, and even know he was struggling to find the words. Blair sighed and looked up at him "No, I need to do this Chuck. I need to get away from it all."

"I had to ask." Chuck replied "I knew you would say no, but still I had to ask."

"I'm kind of glad you did. At least I know on some level you still care about me."

"You doubted that?" He mumbled into her hair "Wow I really did mess up didn't I?"

"A different girl in your room every night doesn't exactly scream I am thinking about you" Blair answered quitely "I stay here more than you realize and I see the girls creep in and out."

Chuck was silent for a long time. He just held her tight in his arms. He didn't want to let her go, but he knew she was no longer his to hold on to. He tried to find a way to justify his actions and realized there was no way too. He kissed her head and whispered "Be safe" into her hair. "And just for the record, I wished every one of them was you."

"You think that makes it ok" Blair suddenly shouted "Don't you dare say that to me. You didn't want me. They could have been me but you didn't want me. You did this"

She got up and walked across to the door. Chuck followed her and grabbed her by the wrist. He turned her round to face him. She felt the fury build up in her. Then the irony hit. Now he was fighting for her. Now he was giving her what she wanted, when she didn't want it anymore. It had hurt but she accepted that her and Chuck were not meant to be. They were meant to be in each other's life, but they were not meant to be each others life. She turned round and looked at him "Chuck you let me go, you can't change that now. It was a high school thing, we're twenty three now. It's time to let go."

She twisted her wrist out of his grip and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. He closed his eyes and didn't move. There was so much he could have said. There was so much he wanted to say but instead all he did was sigh. He kept his eyes closed till he knew she was out of the room. He opened them again and flipped open the computer. The screen said click to purchase ticket to Germany. He hit the off button and threw his head back against the chair.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N : Hey guys. This is just a wee filler setting things up for he girls leaving. R/R please. Holz

Blair was in her room finishing her packing. Serena had told her she was bringing too much but she argued that she was bringing the essentials. A girl could not go to Germany without an array of outfits and matching shoes. Serena had managed to cut down Blair's suitcases from five down to one large suitcase and a rucksack. She reminded Blair that there would be no bellhops to carry them for her. The only thing left for her to pack was her high schoolyearbook. She sat down on her bed and flicked it open. She traced over her picture. She read Serena's comment "First Yale, then the rest of the world". That was certainly true now.

She flicked the pages back until she came to Chuck's picture. She traced the word that was written underneath his picture. "Forever", that was all Chuck had wrote that day, but it was the one entry that had meant the most to her. She was sure then that those words would still make her smile fifty years from now, but that smile was going to be bitter sweet. She pressed her fingers to her lips, then placed it on top of Chuck's smile. She shut the book and through it into the suitcase. She placed a few items of clothing on top of it and flung the top closed.

"Time to grow up" she muttered to herself "time to grow up."

Blair heaved the suitcase off her bed and set it with her rucksack. This was it. She was letting everything go, and in three months time she would come back a changed women. She snorted at the cheesiness of her own thoughts. She was becoming very "Seventh Heaven". She only had two more days until she boarded the plane to Germany. It was an eight hour flight from New York to Frankfurt. Something she was not looking forward to but at least they were not flying coach. She had her much battered copy of Friday's Child packed in her carry on bag. She had to read it for a class in College and so far has read it thirty-eight times. She sought romance in it to heal her wounds after her and Chuck broke up. Or at least to replace some of the feelings. She opened her bottom drawer and dug around for her passport. She lifted it out and placed it in her carry on bag. She was interrupted by a knock on the door. Nate opened the door and walked in.

"You all set?" he asked sitting down on her bed.

"I think so. I've probably forgotten something but it's too late now"

"Are you sure about this Blair, it's not going to be like travelling with your Dad"

Blair looked at him and smiled "This is exactly why I need to go, because nobody thinks I can. You all think I am some spoiled Upper East Side princess, and ok yes I am, but this why I need to go. I need to be something else for once."

"But why, aren't you happy here?"

"Because this is all fake Nate, I am sick of having my life covered by a stupid website, I am sick of everyone else making judgements on me. I can't enjoy myself for fear of it ending up on the internet. I just need to get away from it all."

"So running away is the answer, grow up Blair"

"That is exactly what I am doing" she snapped, "I'm not living in an apartment that my Grandfather pays for. I'm not working for his company. Me and Serena are the only ones who are growing up."

Nate was taken aback by Blair's harsh tone. He rubbed his chin roughly. There was a period when he expected this from her, but that was due to her break up with Chuck. She became unrecognisableto everyone but she shook herself out of it. Blair sighed and sat down with the bag between her and Nate. "I'm sorry, but I'm never going to grow up living here. I need to see something new."

"Are you running away from Chuck?"

Blair was silent for a long moment. Was she running away from Chuck? Part of her thought that she was. She was conflicted. Part of her was going to be glad to get away from her but part of her was going to miss him. She silently snickered at her own thought. How could she still miss him after everything he had done to her? She looked at Nate "I'm not running, I'm flying". She smiled weakly at her own attempt to make a joke. "Nate I really don't know the reasons, I just know that I need to get away. I have no idea what I am going to do with my life. I graduated with an English degree. My only option here is to teach, and we all know that's not me. I just need some more options."

"But it's clear you still loveEnglish. You are reading this stupid book again" Nate laughed picking up her book.

"It's not stupid. It's perfect" she said playfully snatching it out of his hand. "You just don't understand literature."

"And you try to understand it too much"

Blair threw it down on top of her bag again "I like the book. Why read something you don't like over reading a book you do like?"

"Good point" Nate nodded his head. After a pause he called her name. She looked up at him "Just be careful Blair. And come back, because......well you will be missed."

"Nate I have every intention of coming back. I am just going travelling for three months. Then I will be back. It's just me and Serena's last big blow up before we become real adults." Blair laughed "And for the record, you will be missed too but it's not like I am going to Timbuktu. I have a cell phone and email. It will be like I never left."

"Well don't say that, it will be nice to get a break from your dramatics" Nate teased

"And it will be nice to get away from your hair" Blair blurted out

"My hair?" He laughed

"Yes your hair" Blair nodded "It's always so perfect, it annoys me. For once just leave one hair out of place."

"I will be sure to do that for your leaving party"

Blair stared over at the suitcase and the rucksack sitting by her door. She felt the doubt creep up over her. Was she really able to do this? She shook her head. This was everyone else's doubts getting into her head. She could do this. She turned back to Nate. "You were just at it Nate" she laughed "we are leaving in two days. There's too much to do, but we will have a quiet drink on Tuesday night."

"A quiet drink? What's that?" Nate joked "Think I heard that be mentioned one time in a movie. I thought it was a made up Hollywood thing."

Blair laughed "Yeah it will make a change, but there is so much to do, that me and Serena only have time for a quick see ya later. But it's only for three months, so by the time it even registers we are leaving, we will be back."

"In this place, three months is enough to change everything"

Blair smiled weakly and nodded. She wondered what exactly would change in three months. Would it be enough to make her want to come home? Or enough to make her not want to? She wondered if leaving would wreck all chances she had with Chuck, or would absence make the heart grow fonder. "Change is good. If things stay the same for too long it get's stale"

"Things have been the same for the past twenty-three years, why now?"

"You just answered your own question. It's been the same for far too long. I'm going to change all that."

"Well just come back anyway"

"I have every intention too" Blair smiled at him

Nate took the hand that was resting on her rucksack. Neither one said anything for a moment. Nate sighed "He'll miss you."

Blair pulled her hand away "Good for him, what does he want? A new bottle of whiskey."

"I was only stating a fact. There will be more than me waiting for your return"

"Well if you don't mind I need to finish packing" Blair said standing up. She started to pull on the strings of her rucksack. Nate kissed her head once and left the room. After he was gone Blair sat back down on the bed. "I'll miss him too" she whispered to herself.


End file.
